Focusing location of antimicrobial additives in fluid dispensers

ABSTRACT

A fluid dispenser includes focused location of antimicrobial resins to one or more high touch surfaces of the dispenser. In one example, an antimicrobial resin is incorporated into a first contact receiving surface, such as a push bar of a manually operated hand soap dispenser. In another example, an antimicrobial additive is incorporated in a second contact receiving surface, such as a cover release mechanism of a hand soap dispenser. In another example, an antimicrobial additive is incorporated into one or more high touch points on the dispenser.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to fluid dispensers.

BACKGROUND

Hand washing is important in many industries, including hospitality (hotels, restaurants, etc.) and healthcare (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.). In addition, there are many other applications in which the dispensing of various fluids occurs. To facilitate hand washing, for example, fluid dispensers that dispense hand cleansing products may be placed near sinks of a kitchen or washroom for the washing of hands by employees or patrons of an establishment, employees, patients, or visitors to a healthcare facility, or other persons. Such fluid dispensers house a disposable or refillable product container, such as a cartridge or flexible bag, containing a supply of the desired fluid product. The fluid may include, for example, foams, liquids, and/or gels. The dispensers are generally wall mounted and include a hinged cover which permits opening and closing of the dispenser housing so that the supply of fluid product may be refilled or replaced. Some fluid dispensers are manually actuated by pushing or pulling a handle, bar, or button on the dispenser. Others dispense automatically by sensing presence of a user or the user's hands near the dispenser.

SUMMARY

In general, the disclosure relates to fluid dispensers with focused location of antimicrobial additives.

In one example, the disclosure is directed to a dispenser comprising a housing having an interior cavity, a reservoir positioned in the interior cavity of the housing that contains a supply of a fluid to be dispensed, a dispense mechanism manually operable by a user to cause a discrete quantity of fluid to be dispensed from the reservoir, the dispense mechanism comprising a first contact receiving surface accessible on an exterior of the housing and manually moveable between a rest position and a dispensing position, the first contact receiving surface further comprised of a material that includes an antimicrobial agent, and a frame pivotally mounted within the interior of the housing and configured to receive the first contact receiving surface, wherein the frame is comprised of a material that does not include the antimicrobial agent, the frame further configured such that manual movement of the first contact receiving surface from the rest position to the dispense position causes a corresponding movement of the frame resultant dispensation of the discrete quantity of the fluid from the reservoir.

In another example, the disclosure is directed to A dispenser comprising a housing having an interior cavity, a reservoir positioned in the interior cavity of the housing that contains a supply of a fluid to be dispensed, and at least one high touch points, the at least one high touch point comprising a defined surface area on or within the dispenser that is touched by users relatively more often than remaining surface areas on or within the dispenser, and wherein the at least one high touch point includes an antimicrobial agent.

The details of one or more examples are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example fluid dispenser having focused location of one or more antimicrobial additives.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a perspective view of the example fluid dispenser of FIG. 1 with the cover removed (FIG. 2A) and with the cover and the push bar removed (FIG. 2B).

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example dispenser actuation assembly.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the example dispenser actuation assembly of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

“Antimicrobial” is the general term for any product or ingredient designed to kill or inhibit bacteria, viruses, or molds. Biocides (such as triclosan), silver-based additives, and silane quaternary amines are examples of antimicrobial resin additives that may be added to plastics to reduce the levels of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, molds, mildew, and/or viruses found on plastic parts. Antimicrobial coatings may also be applied to the surface of many materials, including plastic, metal, wood, glass, ceramic, etc., to accomplish these objectives.

The present disclosure describes fluid dispensers in which the location of antimicrobials is focused at one or more “high touch” (i.e., frequently touched) surfaces on the dispenser. Focusing location of the antimicrobial to one or more high touch surfaces may help to reduce the level of microorganisms on the surfaces that are touched most frequently by users, thus helping to reduce the amount of transmission between users. The dispenser may be configured such that one or more high touch surfaces of the dispenser include the antimicrobial, while the remaining medium and/or low touch surfaces or portions of the dispenser that are touched relatively less often do not include an antimicrobial.

An example of a high touch surface on a fluid dispenser includes an externally accessible push bar or other manually operable mechanism on a dispenser. Another example of a high touch surface includes an externally accessible button or other manually operable mechanism for releasing a cover latch. Other high touch surfaces on a dispenser may also incorporate one or more antimicrobial(s), depending upon the type of dispenser, the mechanism by which the fluid is dispensed, the type of fluid to be dispensed, the persons who will be using the dispenser, the application or environment in which the dispenser is to be used, etc.

Focusing antimicrobial properties to one or more high touch points may place antimicrobial properties at the surfaces where transmission of such organisms between users is most likely to occur. The manufacturing cost of the dispenser may be decreased because less antimicrobial product is needed. Alternatively, the high touch points may be provided with relatively large amounts/concentrations of antimicrobial product for the same or similar cost, potentially providing an even greater reduction in the number of microorganisms present on the high touch surface(s) of the dispenser.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an example fluid dispenser 100 having focused location of antimicrobial resin(s). Example fluid dispenser 100 may dispense any type of fluid, including but not limited to hand cleansers, liquid soaps, lotions, gels, foams, shampoos, hand creams, sanitizers, disinfectants, foams, detergents, bleaches, cleaning agents, laundry products, etc. Fluid dispensers such as that shown in FIG. 1 may be used in any of a number of environments, including but not limited to hospitality industries such as hotels and restaurants, health care facilities, institutional laundry facilities, housekeeping, commercial kitchens, food and beverage production facilities, etc. Fluid dispensers may be placed near sinks in kitchens, hospital rooms, restrooms, or other locations to facilitate hand washing by employees, members of the public, or other users.

Example dispenser 100 includes a housing 110 having a front cover 102 and a back plate 104. A reservoir 112 (see FIG. 2) located within the interior of the housing 110 contains a supply of the fluid to be dispensed. Back plate 104 facilitates mounting of dispenser 100 to a wall or other object. In this example, housing 110 includes a hinge 112 that permits cover 102 to pivot between a closed position and an open position. A button or other cover release mechanism 150 may be depressed or triggered to unlatch cover 102. A push bar 258, manually operable by a user, is externally accessible on the outside of dispenser housing 110. Push bar 258 forms a part of a lever assembly 250 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), the other portions of which are physically located within the interior of housing 110 when the dispenser is fully assembled and the cover is closed. Operation of push bar 258 results in dispensation of a discrete quantity of fluid as indicated by reference numeral 108. Consistent with the present disclosure, push bar 258 is comprised of a material including at least one antimicrobial agent. In another example, cover release mechanism 150 may be comprised of a material including at least one antimicrobial agent.

Although a push bar 258 is shown and described herein, it shall be understood that any other dispense mechanism manually operable by a user to dispense fluid, such as any type of button, bar, handle, knob, dial, switch, etc. may be substituted for push bar 258, and that the disclosure is not limited in this respect. The dispense mechanism may be pushed, pulled, turned, or otherwise operated on by a user. In addition, although a button 150 is shown as the mechanism by which the cover latch may be released, it shall be understood that, as with the dispense mechanism, other cover release mechanisms manually operable by a user may be substituted, and that the disclosure is not limited in this respect.

For purposes of the present disclosure, the term “high touch points” means those surfaces on or within a dispenser that are touched by users relatively more often than other surfaces on or within the dispenser. In other words, high touch points are those points on the dispenser that are touched relatively more frequently than other surfaces on or in the dispenser. As mentioned above, these high touch points may include push bar 258, cover release mechanism 150, and/or any other surfaces on or in the dispenser that are touched with relatively greater frequency than other surfaces.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of the example fluid dispenser 100 of FIG. 1. In FIG. 2A, the cover is removed. In FIG. 2B, the cover and the push bar are removed. Fluid dispenser 100 includes a dispense mechanism 250, an actuator 116, and a pump 114. A reservoir 112 holds a supply of the fluid to be dispensed. Dispense mechanism 250 includes push bar 258, a frame 256, and a hinge 254 on which frame 256 is pivotally supported within the housing 110. In operation, application of an input force to push bar 258 causes dispense mechanism 250 to pivotally rotate about the axis provided by hinge 254. Dispense mechanism 250 acts as a kind of lever, transfers the input force into a corresponding output force applied to actuator 116 by rotation of frame 256. In response to application of the output force (in a generally upward direction in this particular example), actuator mechanically activates pump 114 resulting in dispensation of the discrete quantity of the fluid from reservoir 112.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example dispense assembly 250. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the example dispense assembly of FIG. 3. Example actuation assembly 250 includes a push bar 258 mounted on a front side of frame 256 and a hinge 254. Push bar 258 may be mounted onto frame 256 using any appropriate means of attachment such as overmolding, adhesive, snap fit, welding, mechanical fasteners, etc. As discussed above, push bar 258 is comprised of a material including at least one antimicrobial agent. Frame 256 includes two backwardly extending actuating arms 252A and 252B. Hinge 254 permits dispense assembly 250 to be pivotally supported within dispenser 100. In accordance with the present disclosure, frame 256 and/or hinge 254 are comprised of a material that does not include an antimicrobial agent. When the dispenser is assembled, push bar 258 is accessible on the exterior of the dispenser housing 110 as shown in FIG. 1. A mechanical force manually applied by a user (e.g., pushing, pulling, turning, rotating) to push bar 258, causes frame 256 to pivotally rotate about hinge 254. This rotation causes a corresponding rotational and generally upward movement of actuating arms 252A and 252B. This movement of actuating arms 252A and 252B transfers the input force to actuator 116, which in turn actuates pump 114, resulting in dispensation of a discrete amount of fluid from reservoir 144.

Although one specific example of a mechanical apparatus (dispense mechanism, actuator, pump) for dispensing a fluid is shown and described herein, it shall be understood that many different mechanical implementations may be substituted for the specific example shown in FIGS. 1-4, and that the disclosure is not limited in this respect.

During the course of manufacture, one or more antimicrobial/anti-bacterial additives may be added to the plastic resin during production of one or more high touch points on a dispenser, such as a fluid dispenser 100 shown herein. These additives may include, but are not limited to biocides (e.g., triclosan), silver-based additives, silane quaternary amines, or other antimicrobial additives. In contrast, low or medium touch points (e.g., any portions of the dispenser that are touched relatively less often) may be produced from plastic resins that do not include the antimicrobial additive. In addition, one or more of the dispense assembly, fluid reservoir, housing, or other parts of the dispenser may be produced without antimicrobial additives. The location of the antimicrobial properties of the dispenser may thus be focused to where it may provide the most benefit in terms of reducing the transfer of microorganisms between users.

In other examples, in addition to or instead of incorporating antimicrobial additives into a plastic resin, one or more antimicrobial coatings or treatments may be applied to the surface of one or more high touch points of a dispenser.

Various examples have been described. These and other examples are within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A dispenser comprising: a housing having an interior cavity; a reservoir positioned in the interior cavity of the housing that contains a supply of a fluid to be dispensed; a dispense mechanism manually operable by a user to cause a discrete quantity of fluid to be dispensed from the reservoir, the dispense mechanism comprising: a first contact receiving surface accessible on an exterior of the housing and manually moveable between a rest position and a dispensing position, the first contact receiving surface further comprised of a material that includes an antimicrobial agent; and a frame pivotally mounted within the interior of the housing and configured to receive the first contact receiving surface, wherein the frame is comprised of a material that does not include the antimicrobial agent, the frame further configured such that manual movement of the first contact receiving surface from the rest position to the dispense position causes a corresponding movement of the frame resultant dispensation of the discrete quantity of the fluid from the reservoir.
 2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first contact receiving surface comprises one of a bar, a button, a handle, a knob, a dial, or a switch.
 3. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first contact receiving surface may be pushed, pulled, turned, or rotated by a user to dispense the discrete quantity of fluid.
 4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the dispense mechanism further comprises a hinge by which the frame is pivotally mounted within the interior of the housing.
 5. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first contact receiving surface is mounted onto the frame using an overmolding process.
 6. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first contact receiving surface is mounted onto the frame using at least one of an adhesive, a snap fit, and a mechanical fastener.
 7. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first contact receiving surface is manually moveable by the user between the rest position and the dispensing position.
 8. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first contact receiving surface comprises a plastic resin that includes at least one antimicrobial additive.
 9. The dispenser of claim 8 wherein the antimicrobial additive comprises at least one of a biocide, a silver-based additive, and a silane quaternary amine.
 10. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the first contact receiving surface comprises an antimicrobial coating.
 11. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a second contact receiving surface on an exterior of the housing and manually moveable to release a cover latch, the second contact receiving surface further comprised of a material that includes the antimicrobial agent.
 12. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a cover release mechanism, and wherein the cover release mechanism is comprised of the material that includes the antimicrobial agent.
 13. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising one or more high touch points, and wherein the one or more high touch points are comprised of the material that includes the antibacterial agent.
 14. A dispenser comprising: a housing having an interior cavity; a reservoir positioned in the interior cavity of the housing that contains a supply of a fluid to be dispensed; and at least one high touch point, the at least one high touch point comprising a defined surface area on or within the dispenser that is touched by users relatively more often than remaining surface areas on or within the dispenser, and wherein the at least one high touch point includes an antimicrobial agent.
 15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the at least one high touch point includes a dispense mechanism manually operable by a user to cause a discrete quantity of fluid to be dispensed from the reservoir.
 16. The dispenser of claim 15, the dispense mechanism comprising a contact receiving surface accessible on an exterior of the housing and manually moveable between a rest position at which no fluid is dispensed and a dispensing position at which fluid is dispensed, and wherein the contact receiving surface includes the material that includes the antimicrobial agent.
 17. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the at least one high touch point includes a cover release mechanism.
 18. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises an antimicrobial additive or an antimicrobial coating.
 19. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the antimicrobial agent includes at least one of a biocide, a silver-based additive, and a silane quaternary amine.
 20. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the at least one high touch point comprises a plastic resin that includes at least one antimicrobial additive. 